The Peekskill Meteorite
A fireball filmed over a string of Friday night football games ended its journey in the back of a parked car.
What was reported
On the evening of 9 October 1992, a bright green fireball crossed the sky over several eastern US states, breaking into pieces as it went. Because it happened during Friday night high school football, at least 16 people caught it on home video cameras.
In Peekskill, 18-year-old Michelle Knapp heard a crash outside and found a hole through the back of her Chevrolet Malibu. Under the car was a warm rock the size of a football, weighing about 12 kg.
Explanations offered
The rock was an ordinary chondrite. The videos let scientists work out its path and its orbit around the Sun, one of the first times that had been possible for a meteorite. The car and the meteorite have since been shown in museums around the world.
- When
- 9 October 1992
- Where
- Peekskill, New York, USA
- Witnesses
- Football crowds in several states, and one car owner
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.